An alternative model for measuring air quality has been implemented in the municipality of Girardota. It involves a plant that captures polluting gases and releases clean air into the atmosphere, resembling a water treatment plant system.

This pilot project, developed by Paisa creators, holds two national patents and two from the United States. It is currently being applied for the first time in Colombia. The system, named Fiva, operates in conjunction with other low-cost sensors that measure air quality at various points in the locality.

The creators of Fiva are professionals from Antioquia who invested eight years in research before obtaining the patents necessary to bring their idea to the market. Now, they are putting it into operation for the first time in the locality that, according to Siata records, consistently exhibited the worst pollution data.

According to Juan Carlos Monsalve, spokesperson for Ecolair (the company behind the system), the benefits for the community are direct and positively impact public health. Since the air is treated on-site, Monsalve explains, “These pollutants will no longer reach the lungs, allowing people to breathe purer air with a higher quality level.”